Uncapped duo join England’s tourists
Alastair Cook’s 11th opening partner, since the retirement of Andrew Strauss four years ago, when the series resumes in Mumbai next week.
The 24-year-old son of former South Africa coach Ray Jennings had a breakthrough summer in which he was the leading run-scorer in the Specsavers County Championship, when he amassed almost 1,600 runs at an average of 64.50 in Division One for Durham.
He will make his England Lions debut against United Arab Emirates in Dubai today, and then has a tough act to follow after Hameed earned a band of new admirers with his wonderfully-skilled and brave rearguard half-century – down at No8 because of his injury – as England nonetheless lost by eight wickets to go 2-0 down in the series with two Tests to play.
Hampshire all-rounder Dawson, like Ansari a left-arm spinner, is currently busy in the Bangladesh Premier League with Rangpur Riders.
Ansari, meanwhile, will stay with the squad and continue to receive medical support in India before returning to England on December 8 – day one of the Mumbai Test.
Jennings is due to join up with England in Mumbai on December 5, after much of the rest of the squad return from a short mid-series break in Dubai
Neither he nor 26-year-old Dawson has previously figured in a Test squad, although the latter made both his one-day international and Twenty20 debuts last summer.
Yorkshire’s Jonny Bairstow is hoping the best is yet to come with his wicketkeeping after writing his name into the history books.
During England’s third Test defeat against India in Mohali, the gloveman claimed his 68th dismissal in Test cricket this year, the most by any keeper.
Bairstow went beyond the previous record of 67 held by Ian Healy and Mark Boucher in 1993 and 1998 respectively, and he still has two Tests left to play in this series.
“There was a lot of speculation a year or so ago as to whether I should be keeping wicket,” he said.
“So to put the hard work in and for that to come to fruition over a period of time, and to go past some of the great names who have ever kept wicket, is a special achievement.”